Well casing floating and cementing apparatus



April 19, 1949- T. M. RAGAN WELL CASING FLOATING AND CEMENTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. .25,l 1947 v R. W. O

INVENTOR. THOMAS M. RAGAN ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 19, 1949 WELL CASINGFLATING AND CEMENT-ING APPARATUS Thomas M. `Bagan, Downey, Calif., assigner to Baker. Gil Tools, Inc., Vernon, Calif., a corpora-,

tion of California The present invention relates to apparatus particularlyfuseful in theoating and cementing of casings, liners` and similar .conduits in wellbores.

A casing string. (or liner. string) may include amupper float collarand a lower ported shoe or collar having., an initially `open axial passage. One function of the iioat collar is to oat the casing string to its nal position in a well bore, whereupon. a trippingor. bridging device can be pumped, or otherwiselowered, through the casing, icy-passing the valve device of the float collar, and closingthe lower axial passage, n order to direct the dischargeof cement slurry pumped down the casing laterally outward through the ports yof the lower shoe or collar. Following such discharge, `the float .collar prevents return flow of theslurry. into the casing.

An` object of the ,present invention is to provide an improved well .casing or liner apparatus of thev general .character above indicated.

Another object of theinvention is to vprovide a float valve and bridging or tripping apparatus for ,use in a well casing,.or other conduit string, in which a oat valve arrangement is employed which can have a larger longitudinal passage than heretofore employed, thus enabling a larger trip or bridge device to be lowered through the passage and by-passed around the valve. for the purpose of closing. another passage in the casing string below the float valve.

Aiurther object of the invention is to provide a Wellcasing floating and back pressure apparatus ,embodying a lapper, poppet or similar valve constrained to move in a predetermined path, and a rtrip or bridge device adapted to open and byfpass around the valve.

Oneiorm which the invention may assume isexemplied in the following description and illustrated` by way of example in the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig.1 is a longitudinal section through a string of well casing embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the float collar with a tripping or bridging ball in its passage.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the ball-by-passing the valve of the collar.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line in Fig. 2.

As disclosed in the drawings, a float collar A is interposed in a string of casing B having a shoe or collar C at its lower end provided with la centralpassageD and lateral ports E above the passage.- The` collar A 'consists' of an outer steel memberv or shell'IIl connected to adjacent casing sections.

An inner valve body II is suitably secured, as by means of intervening concrete I2 or similar material, to the member Ill, being provided with an upper tapered guiding surface I3 diverging in an upward direction and an intermediate cylindrical passage Id merging into a lower downwardlydiverging valve seating surface I5 of gen1v erally spherical shape.

to the valve seating surface I5.

The flapper valve I'i has a central arm I9.piv..- oted on a hingepinZ carried bya pair of spaced ears 2l depending fromthe valve body II toone side of its axis. This pin 20 is held in assembled position by a Cotter pin 22 at each end engageable with an adjacent ear 2l. A spring 23..urgesthe. iiapper vaive I'I toward closed position by swing-v ing it on its hinge or pivot pin. 2U toward engage.

ment with the seal ring I6 andspherical body As disclosed in .the drawings, this surface I5. spring 23 may be disposed around .the hinge pin von both sides of the valve arm I9, the ends 2.4 of the spring bearing ragainst the steel tubular member I@ of the collar, and the central portion 25 of the spring extending inwardly to engage the main portion of .the flapper valve I'I- itself and urge it toward closed position against the cooperable seat I5, I6.

In the arrangement disclosed by way-of example in the drawings, it is desired to close the axial passage D through the lower shoe or collar C-,in

order to direct the fluid pumped .down through the casing string outwardly through` theshoeor collar ports E. To accomplishthis purpose, `a

suitable trip or bridging member 26, such as a ball, is lowered throughA the casing string and is pumped through the collar body Il, displacing the iiapper valve I1, to one side and .continuing on downwardly below the apper valve into en gagement with the seat 21 atv the upper end of the shoe axialpassage D, preventing uid from passing downwardly through. this passage. and directing all of the luidoutwardly through the side ports E. y

For the purpose of displacing, the flapper valve II suliciently tovone; side. against theaction of.y ,y the spring, the tripping member 2E has ,a diame-.. ter substantiallyv equal to the .inside diameter. of

the cylindrical body passage.l4 in order to have a slidable sealingt therewith.v As a resultthis tripping member, upon entering thecylindrical wardly through the casing string toward the shoe C. As a matter of fact, the passage of the ball through the cylindrical body portion I4, upon application of pump pressure to the fluid thereabove Ar rubber or similar.v seal. ring I6 may be inserted in the lower portion fof.V

the body to effect a seal with a flapper valve I1 having an outer spherical surface I8 companion and around the valve member I1 is extremely rapid, the ball in effect being shot out of the passage I4, rapidly forcing the flapper valve member to one side to an open position in which the ball 26 rides off the free end of the member I1.

In the use of the apparatus, the casing string may be floated through the fluid in the well bore until the casing string has been lowered to its desired position. During such downward running action, the flapper valve I1 remains closed against the seal ring I6 and also against the spherical seat I5. A good leak-proof seal is provided since the flapper valve is mounted freely on the hinge pin and can move laterally to a slight extent in order that the spherical seating surfaces I5, I8 may engage properly. Such lateral movement is permitted without losing sealing contact with the seal ring I6 since the latter projects inwardly from the body to a substantial extent and will deform laterally. After the casing has been run into the well, the trip or -bridging ball 26 is lowered down through the casing string, being pumped through the cylindrical passage I4, by-passing around the apper valve I1 (Fig. 3) and coming to rest on the seat 21 at the upper end of the lower shoe or collar passage D, thereby preventing further downward ow of fluid through this passage and confining all fluid flow laterally outward through the side ports E.

Cement slurry may now be pumped down, through the casing string and past the valve I1 for outward passage through the side ports E and for deposition behind the string of casing. Following the placing of the required quantity of slurry in the annulus around the casing string, the pumps may be stopped and the apper valve I1 will engage its seat I5, I6 to prevent return flow of slurry through the ports E into the casing string.

The use of a device like the ilapper valve I1, which may be displaced to one side of the collar A, enables a larger trip or bridging ball 26 to be employed in closing the central passage D through the lower shoe or collar and also enables this passage to have a relatively large diameter. It will be evident that the thickness of the ilapper valve is much less than the diameter across the flapper valve itself, and that it can be swung open to a greater extent before contacting the tubular member ID than ball valve and similar devices heretofore used can be displaced laterally from the central collar passage. Accordingly, a larger central passage can be used and a larger ball or other trip device 26 may be pumped, piston-like, through the passage I4 and past the flapper valve I1. This is particularly true of the small sizes of float collars, in which it is still desired to employ a comparatively large trip or bridge device 26, despite the fact that the extent of downward swinging movement of the float valve member I1 is limited by its engagement with the wall of the tubular member I0.

As a matter of fact, it is to be noted that it is unnecessary for the flapper valve to be displaced completely to one side of the central passage I4 through the valve body II since the ball 26 can pass between the valve I1 and seat I5, I6, while the former occupies an inclined position almost fully within the path of fluid flow through the central valve body passage (see Fig. 3).

It is important to note that the trip or bridge ing member 26 makes a sliding sealing ilt with the cylindrical passage I4 to cause it to swing the apper valve I1 in a downward direction su'iciently to allow the member 26 to by-pass the valve I1. Any substantial leakage past the ball while it is contained within the cylindrical body passage I4 would merely allow the fluid to iiow around the ball and open the ilapper valve to a slight extent, then owing down through the casing below the collar. Under these circumstances, the apper valve itself would not open sufficiently to permit by-passing of the ball 26. The functioning of the trip device 26 as a piston, however, through making a snug sliding fit with the cylindrical body passage I4, causes it to be acted upon by the fluid and forced directly against the Valve member I1, opening the latter until it is displaced around the member I1 to a position of freedom for continuing its downward travel toward the seat 21 at the upper end of the axial passage D through the lower shoe or collar C.

'While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, is to to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, including a tubular member adapted to form part of a well casing string, a body secured to said member and having a cylindrical passage therethrough and a valve seat at the lower end of said passage, a valve member pivotally mounted on said body, spring means engaging said valve member to swing said valve member upwardly into engagement with said seat, and a ball movable downwardly through said cylindrical passage and past said valve member, said ball having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said cylindrical passage.

2. Apparatus of the character described, including a tubular member adapted to form part of a well casing string, a body secured to said member and having a cylindrical passage therethrough and a valve seat at the lower end of saidA passage, a valve member pivotally mounted on said body for upward swinging into engagement with said seat, and a member moveable downwardly through said cylindrical passage and completely past said valve member, said downwardly movable member having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said cylindrical passage.

THOMAS M. RAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,162,578 Hacker s June 13, 1939 2,189,703 Burt et al. Feb. 6, 194() 2,196,661 Grubb Apr. 9, 1940 2,212,087 Thornhill Aug. 20, 1940 

